The Amazing Race, Oct. 23 – Smiling Through Elephant Poop

Andy and Tommy pay their cabdriver, and give him the $150 he’s demanding. They only had $186 to start off with. They go to buy bus tickets and are told the next bus leaves at 4:30 PM, and will get them there at 6:00 AM, a thirteen hour ride. Justin and Jennifer arrive and buy tickets, as do Jeremy and Sandy after also paying their cab driver a large fee. Laurence and Zac also arrive and take a bus departing at 4:30 PM, but theirs is a “first class” bus. Zac asks his dad if he thinks it will be an issue, but is told no.

Ernie’s first spirit house rebuild fails, and he has to go back for a second look at the houses. He notes it’s another bad day for Team Ernie and Cindy, explaining they have a lot of them, and they all seem to be his fault. Amani is passed on her first attempt at rebuilding the house. Cindy knows they should have just written it down earlier.

Liz and Marie arrive at the first Roadblock, and Marie decides to do it. I only know that because they mentioned her name. She gets the clue fairly quickly, and the twins head to the local shop. Bill and Cathi arrive at the local shop as Ernie is arriving for the second time. Ernie jots down his notes and takes off, and knows if he doesn’t get it right, Cindy will kill him.

Zac convinces his dad to get off the bus, as they aren’t supposed to take first class transport. They start walking back to the bus station. Ernie works on putting the spirit house together as Bill and Cathi arrive, with Bill having to be the one to rebuild the spirit house. Ernie gets it right this time, and he and Cindy head to the bus station.

Laurence and Zach run back to the bus station to buy new non-first class tickets, as Liz and Marie arrive at the local shop, and start taking apart the spirit house while taking notes in case they have to reassemble it. Bill gets the rebuilding right on his first attempt, and they take off for the bus station.

Liz uses her notes to try and put the spirit house back together, but Marie is worried, and her twin doesn’t always remember things very well. Amani and Marcus book tickets on a 5:30 bus to Bangkok, as do Bill and Cathi. Ernie and Cindy arrive, and their driver asks for 4500 baht. Ernie decides that’s $100 American. The driver then comes after them and tells them that’s not enough. Ernie argues it out with him, saying $100 American is more than 4500 baht. The driver wants them to pay in Thai money though. Someone Cindy explains is a “crazy woman” insists they’re ripping off the driver. Ernie tells her he doesn’t even know who she is, as Cindy is insisting to the driver the he was a “terrible driver.” The crazy woman offers to call the police. She finally tells them to pay him $150. They do, and it’s all good.

Laurence and Zac arrive at the bus station just after the 5:30 bus takes off. They will now have to wait for the 8:00 bus, after originally being on the 4:30 bus. Liz’s spirit house is approved, and they’re on their way to the bus terminal. Laurence and Zac board their 8:00 bus, with the twins arriving shortly after. They buy tickets for the bus to Bangkok, and are told they need to get on the bus right then. Not so fast, as their driver is looking for more payola. They tell their driver they don’t have any more money, yet their bus is leaving. Not only will they be stuck further behind, but they don’t have any more money to buy more tickets. Their driver agrees to take the last of their money, and he then drives them to catch up to the bus.

Ernie and Cindy are nervous being on a bus alone, while Sandy and Jeremy are nervous on their bus with Andy/Tommy and Justin/Jennifer, as they were supposed to arrive at 5:30, and it’s now 6 AM, as they still continue to drive. Bill and Cathi are worried that the bus carrying them and Amani and Marcus spent too much time dropping off passengers.

Ernie and Cindy’s bus is the first to arrive, arriving ahead of schedule. She remembers being in Bangkok a few years ago, but he doesn’t think that’s going to help them at all. She jokes the only way it will is if they are told to find “lady boys,” whatever that is. The bus carrying Jeremy/Sandy, Andy/Tommy, and Justin/Jennifer arrives, and they take taxis to the fish pond. The bus carrying Amani/Marcus and Bill/Cathi arrive as well. Laurence/Zac’s bus and Liz/Marie’s bus are still in transit.

Having fed the fish, Ernie and Cindy’s next clue tells them to head to the M.R. Kukrit Heritage Home, the pit stop for this leg of the Race. Their driver doesn’t know where it is, but he agrees to phone a friend for help. Maybe he should ask the audience instead.

Jeremy’Sandy, Justin/Jennifer, and Andy/Tommy are stuck in a traffic jam, as Bill/Cathi and Amani/Marcus are the next teams to arrive at the fish pond. They feed the fish and get the clues sending them to the pit stop. Laurence and Zac’s bus arrives, followed by Liz and Marie’s. They are told it’s three blocks away and try walking since they’re out of cash, as Ernie and Cindy are stuck in traffic. They get out and try hoofing it.